Dusan Vlahovic expressed regret towards Juventus following his failure to convert scoring opportunities during the team’s defeat to Napoli. He acknowledged that in order to achieve his aspirations, he must capitalize on such chances. Despite encountering several notable scoring opportunities, the Serbian international was unfortunate in his attempts, with one header narrowly missing the far post, a chip striking the inside of the upright, and another shot sailing over the crossbar.
“I will honestly regret them all. If I want to become what I want to become, to take that extra step up in level, then I have to take these chances. There is nothing else I can say,” Vlahovic told DAZN.
“I had opportunities to win the match, I worked so hard during the week and did everything to be prepared, but it just didn’t happen tonight.”
The individual elucidates the circumstances surrounding the missed scoring opportunity, notably the clearest chance, during which he directed a shot over the goal following a knock-down by Federico Gatti.
“When I do not follow my intuition, that is where things go wrong. At first I wanted to control, but then I decided to hit it first time and 9 times out of 10 I score those. In that moment, I thought the opponent would go into a sliding block and so I had to take it first time.
“However, if I want to become what I am thinking of becoming, then I have to do better. I will keep working and I am convinced the goal will come.”
What is he thinking of becoming?
“I am thinking of becoming a great striker. I had three or four chances tonight, so in my mind I should have four goals. The biggest problem though is that we did not win.
“Everyone wants to become the best in the world, we are all working towards that. I will keep working and hope to get back to scoring in the next game I can play, as unfortunately I will not be there against Atalanta.
“The team played really well, we did everything the coach asked of us, but if I converted one of those chances, I think the game would’ve been very different.
“I want to thank my teammates, as I saw their faces in the locker room and we really gave our all. It was a strong performance, I know that if I had scored, it would’ve been another game.”
Juventus is currently undertaking a rejuvenation of their squad, evident in the notably youthful composition of tonight’s starting XI, featuring emerging talents such as Carlos Alcaraz, Fabio Miretti, and Samuel Iling-Junior.
“The coach did really well to help these young players to settle in, for example Kenan Yildiz and Nonge. I realise that I am young too, but there are actual teenagers here.
“From next season we must focus on winning the Scudetto, because we are Juventus and the rest does not count for us. The coach has really helped us grow. The draw with Empoli was a real psychological blow, then we didn’t have the right approach against Inter and lost to Udinese.
“These are all part of the growth process and I think they will help us for next season.”
Vlahovic was queried regarding his criteria for defining success in the current season, whether it be securing a trophy, attaining qualification for the Champions League, or achieving a personal milestone of scoring 20 goals.
“If we win a trophy or qualify for the Champions League. I leave personal matters to one side, because if a striker scores 20 goals and then the team doesn’t win, there’s no point to that.”
Would he be equally happy if Juventus finished second or fourth?
“No, absolutely not.”